


Flash Fanfiction - Episode 28 - Roomies

by Mindmarvel



Series: Flash Fanfic Introducing Mind Marvel [28]
Category: The Flash - All Media Types
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-06
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2019-03-27 19:02:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13887165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mindmarvel/pseuds/Mindmarvel
Summary: Barry and Caitlin have moved in together. Frost is having problems dealing with Amunet's death which begins to cause trouble for Caitlin. Astrid is dealing with some side effects due to her coma and her new overload of powers which are making her unstable. This story only has 9 chapters... so it is a short one!





	1. Chapter 1

"Barry, I don't get why you don't just use your powers to move all your stuff here by yourself. Why did you have to spoil our Saturday plans to make us help?" Cisco whined at Barry, as he carried a box of Barry's belongings into the front door of Caitlin's apartment.  
"I thought this would be a great bonding experience for the five of us!" Barry replied as he carried an even bigger box and set it down on the coffee table. "What plans was I ruining, Cisco?"

The pair of them were currently alone in the living room, while Caitlin, Astrid and Harry were in the kitchen clearing up space.  
Cisco leant in towards Barry and whispered, "Ever since Astrid awoke from her coma and… you know… revisited her younger days… she has been acting a little less… bossy and more… I dunno… fun? And I mean that in more ways than one. So, call me selfish for wanting to steal her away all the time, but things are great… I mean she…" He grinned.  
Barry shook his head, "No… don't tell me… I'd rather not imagine the details… Set that box in the bedroom." He said gesturing to the box that Cisco was carrying. Cisco nodded and made his way looking for the bedroom, with Barry behind him.

"Wow. Who would have thought you and Barry would move in together, Snow?" Astrid said as she sat on the bench sipping a bottle of beer. "Makes me so glad that I made you bust him out of the hospital in the first place."  
"Speaking of things that we never predicted… I still can't believe that you spent the evening with Captain Cold and Heatwave… and you got a tattoo! I bet Cisco wants it removed…" Caitlin replied as she leant up against the bench, next to her and sipped her own beer.

"Oh, he does… but I won't. I'm seeing it as a reminder to not be so… well… Let's just say, that I need to live a little, and not through my work." Astrid said.  
"I might take a page out of your book… It's funny that it took two ex-criminals to teach you that lesson… and I thought they were your enemies. I can't believe you hugged Snart… that was odd to see."

"Yeah, I remember everything… Those guys aren't so bad, despite their rough exterior." Astrid said as she took another mouthful of beer.  
"Are the two of you just going to continue to stand there? Might I remind you, DR Snow… that we are all moving Barry's things into your apartment… yet, the two of you are sitting around gossiping like school girls… no, Astrid that was not a dig at your recent mentality crisis." Harry said, as he had just finished positioning a large framed photo, of the group of them, on to the wall. It had taken him quite a while to get it into the perfect position.

"Harry, maybe you should follow in our suit." Caitlin said, "Try relaxing a little."  
Astrid handed Harry a beer, which he accepted and took a mouthful of, "This is surprisingly good beer…" he said, "I'm guessing that it was recommended by the two previously mentioned ex-criminals. Considering, that neither of you ever really drink beer."  
"Sara's actually." Astrid said.

"Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing, Barry? Do you see this?" Cisco asked as he and Barry entered the kitchen to see Caitlin, Harry and Astrid enjoying their beers.  
"What are we seeing here, Cisco?" Barry asked him, as he brought in another box of his property.  
"What we are seeing here, is that while we have been putting in all our effort to do the work, the other half of our group have been in here enjoying beers…" Cisco said. He approached Astrid, with a smile, took her beer from her and drank a mouthful. "That is pretty good beer, though. Hey, Harry… that picture frame is a little off center, just thought that I would let you know."

Harry looked back at the picture frame, it was tilted in the slightest. Nonetheless, he got back to repositioning it, in an annoyed manner. "It was barely noticeable, Ramon… Now you've gone and… argh!"  
"Cisco… That was mean." Caitlin said to him, "He's been at that for ages." She handed Barry a beer, as Astrid took another one for herself.  
"Thanks Roomie. Want to make a toast?" Barry asked Caitlin.  
"Hey, I want in on that toast!" Astrid said.

Harry raced back over with his beer in his hand as Barry begun his toast "To… Me and Caitlin starting an amazing life living together…" he began.  
Caitlin added in, "To… all of us having good luck in all of our future ventures…"  
"To all of us not letting work dictate our lives… Carpe diem!" Astrid said.  
"Ooh… I like that one…" Cisco said, "To all of us… nah, I got nothing…" They all looked over at Harry who had his beer in for the ready, "Do I really need to do this? Okay…" Harry began.

"…Nah wait…" Cisco began, "…I got one…" Harry stopped speaking and they waited for Cisco to finish. "…Nah, it's gone again…" Cisco said.  
"Okay… can I go?" Harry asked him.  
"Sure man, all yours…" Cisco said with a smile. But as Harry was about to make his toast, Cisco went to speak again.  
"Ramon!" Harry snapped.

"Cisco, Give the man a break." Barry replied.  
Cisco rolled his eyes and leant into Astrid, who was still sitting on the bench. She wrapped her arms around him.  
"Alright, Go Harry." Cisco said.

Harry nodded at Cisco, and begun his toast, "Thanks… The lot of you have become somewhat of a family to me… Which is not something that I'm used to… including you, Ramon… In many ways… you have shown me, what it's like to have a son… So, to family!"  
"To family!" they all said at once.

"So, yeah… that toast there, Harry… Made me a little uncomfortable. It was almost like Déjà vu… don't ask me why." Cisco said.  
"Alright… so these boxes aren't going to unpack themselves." Barry said, interrupting the moment.  
"In the spirit of enjoying the moment," Caitlin said. "You could just use your powers… and we can get back to…" before she finished her sentence, Barry had used his speed to unpack all the boxes, and tidy the entire apartment.  
"That… is going to come in handy." Caitlin said with a smile.


	2. Chapter 2

After the rest of the group had gone home, Caitlin looked over at Barry with a smile. She was deeply excited with the way that things were going with them. But she was also keeping a deep secret at bay. A secret that she was scared could have an impact on their relationship.

As of late, Frost had been taking charge so much of the time, that Caitlin was feeling herself struggling for control. Frost was also dealing with the heartbreak of losing Amunet. Her heart had been shattered into a million pieces. Caitlin knew that Frost was angry at DR Wells for taking the final shot. It would only be a matter of time for Frost to have her confrontation with the man.

"Earth to Caitlin…" Barry said, interrupting her from her thoughts, "I wanted to know what you wanted for dinner tonight. I was saying for our first night living together we should make it something special."  
Caitlin smiled at him, "We could be having Big Belly Burger and I would still consider it special." She replied.  
"Big Belly Burger it is then." He said. Within minutes he had disappeared and reappeared again with Big Belly Burgers in hand. "For my lady…" he said with a smile, handing her bag to her.

"Thank you, Barry. I just keep expecting an emer…" before she could finish her sentence they both received an emergency alert, she sighed in frustration.  
"You jinxed us." Barry said with a smile.  
"Do you want me to go with you?" Caitlin asked him.

"No, I shouldn't be long. You finish eating." Barry said. He was gone in the blink of an eye.  
Barry arrived at STAR Labs, "I swear, Barry. I tried to convince Cisco to leave you out of this one. But he insisted on calling you for help." Astrid said as she met the speedster.  
"That's alright. I'm just hoping I can get home before Caitlin falls asleep." Barry replied.

"Don't worry! I assure you… You will be." Cisco said as he sat at his computer, "There's a hostage situation at one of the clubs. Five gunmen, two casualties already. I would go but I'm sorta lacking in the speed depar…" Before Cisco could finish his sentence, Barry had already put on his suit and left to deal with the situation.  
"Cisco, you know that you could have just breached me in… I would have had it han…" Astrid began, she stopped as her head began to ache making her take a few breaths to breathe through the pain. Cisco watched her. "Are you okay?" he asked her, as he ran to her side.

"I…I'm fine… It was just a head… head… a headache…" she stammered. The pain subsided and she regained her composure. "See? I'm fine!" she said with a smile. But the moment she smiled, she was met with another crippling headache, one that brought her to her feet and made her scream.  
She began to experience visions. She remembered these visions from her coma, but there were more of them. Her whole life flashed before her eyes. From her infancy to her adulthood. They were every one of her memories, that she had ever experienced since the day that she was born.

Her eyes reopened as the visions and the pain faded. Cisco was staring at her with a look of concern on his face.  
"You saw something didn't you?" he asked her.  
"How do you know?" she asked him.  
"You looked like I did when I first started receiving visions. My head would hurt and I would feel like passing out." He told her.  
"Why didn't you ever tell me that?" she asked him.

"Because you were in your coma… and then you had so much to deal with, you know with your father's death and taking over the company and everything else… and you know I don't like to burden you." He said with a comforting smile. "So, what did you see?"  
"They were… memories… my memories… and I saw everything since the day that I was born… I know Harry's secret." She told him.  
"Harry's secret? What's that got to do with your memories? You two never knew each other until now." He said in confusion.

Astrid felt the tears forming in her eyes, a truth that she didn't want to face… but she knew that she couldn't keep it from him.  
"Cisco, Robert Sutherland isn't really my father…" Astrid said.  
"You're not about to tell me that Wells is, are you? Because that would just suck!" Cisco said trying to humor her. But she shook her head softly and said, "No… but he knows him… and you and I have met him too!"

"What?" Cisco asked her, just as Barry entered the room.  
"All done you guys!" Barry said, "Hey, Astrid. Is everything okay?" he asked her, noticing that she was still on the floor and that Cisco was comforting her.  
"I hurt my head." She told him, but just as she said those words, she noticed a thought cross Barry's mind. How could he have known Harry's secret and not yet have told her?  
"Are you sure, Astrid? Do you need me to go and get Caitlin? Maybe she can check you out and make sure that you're okay." Barry said.

Cisco helped Astrid to her feet, as she continued to read Barry's mind. "Barry… I need to know. Do you know what Harry has been hiding from me?" she asked him.  
Barry shook his head softly, "No… Astrid, I don't…" he lied.  
She knew that he was lying to her, feelings of anger and betrayal washed over her. Though she pushed them aside. "Okay, Barry. Go home… Caitlin is waiting for you." She said in a whisper.


	3. Chapter 3

"Caitlin, for the last time I am fine! Don't fuss over me!" Astrid said as she waved Caitlin away from her. It was just after nine on the Sunday morning and Cisco had dragged Astrid to STAR Labs via breach for Caitlin to check over her.  
"No, you're not fine!" Cisco told her, "last night you were screaming in your sleep and I couldn't wake you. Let Caitlin check over you, please, do it for me! I need to know that you're medically okay."

Astrid stared at him, he was pleading with her. She couldn't resist that face. "Fine… but I'm fine! It was just a nightmare. We don't need to make a big deal out of it."  
She laid down on the medical bay bed and Harry stepped over to them with a large metal box that had wires attached to it.  
"Woah! You're not attaching that thing to her head!" Cisco snapped, "It looks like something that will wipe her mind… We don't need a repeat of Astrid's teenage years!"  
"Relax Ramone… This device is more or less a high powered electroencephalography device. It will give us accurate readings on what is going on in her mind in relation to the grey matter inside her head." Harry said.

"Okay… that's a little reassuring." Cisco replied.  
Astrid sat bolt upright. "No it's not… Remember, I'm not a doctor… I have no idea what the hell you guys are talking about."  
"It will help us determine what is causing your headaches and your nightmares as well as the increase in your recent vivid memories." Caitlin explained.  
"It's okay, my Jedi-girl." Cisco said as he stroked her hair. "Lay back down, I'm here." She listened to him and laid back down, closing her eyes. Harry attached the tabs to her temples and her third eye and switched on the machine.  
The readings showed up on the monitor close by.

"Wow!" Caitlin exclaimed the moment she saw the screen.  
"Wow, what?" Astrid asked. The group were in shock by her readings.  
"Astrid, you need to just stay still, please. Don't move." Caitlin replied, there was a mixture of fear and amazement by the readings that they were seeing, which concerned Astrid.  
"Cisco… what's going on?" Astrid asked, just as Barry arrived in to the cortex. He too was amazed by the readings.  
"Wow… her brain activity is off the charts!" Barry said, surprised.

"Okay, you guys! I'm lying on the bed and being a good girl… but I'm not a doctor or a scientist… what are my readings telling you?" Astrid asked them, in frustration, with her eyes still closed.  
Cisco continued to stroke her hair, to comfort her as Caitlin explained. "Astrid, your brainwaves are… like nothing that I have ever seen before. When you were affected by the meteor you were granted the ability to use a large percentage of your brain at once, which explained your ability to read minds. But just recently, when we were on earth 2, you managed to absorb more telepathic power. But, due to the evil Well's abilities that should have only been temporary. But he must have acted as a carrier and given you the powers permanently. Your powers are continuing to grow stronger. You can use the full percentage of your brain at a much faster rate… and we're only just scratching the surface of your mental capabilities."

Astrid removed the tabs and sat up, making the machine begin to beep loudly. So Harry switched it off.  
"What are we talking about here, Snow?" she asked her friend.  
"That not only can you compel people and read minds and access every single one of your memories in full detail… There's no telling what else you're capable of." Caitlin replied.  
There was a sadness to the group. She chose not to read their minds to get the answer. "What's the downside?" she asked them.  
"Astrid…" Harry began, "there is a risk that you could become mentally unstable. That you could… possibly lose your mind."  
"An insane criminal psychologist!" Astrid scoffed. "How poetic!"

"But the chances of insanity are very slim, right?" Barry asked, trying to be optimistic.  
"Yes, in theory. While it is possible, it doesn't mean that you are going to suffer from those consequences… It's just a risk." Caitlin said.  
"but… on a lighter note…" Cisco said, "Think about it, there could be so many powers that you hold… and I for one am intrigued at what your beautiful mind is capable of... and I mean that as both a compliment and a movie reference." He leant over and kissed her.

But as he did so, she screamed out in searing pain pushing him away from her. She held her head tightly. "Oww! It hurts!" she cried.  
Caitlin rushed over and brought her a strong pain killer in the form of an injection. Astrid looked at the injection. Before Caitlin could stick the needle into her arm, the syringe flew out of her hand and hit the back wall. Astrid buried her head into arms, in the fetal position. Crying out, "my head, my head my head!"  
"Do something!" Cisco yelled.  
"Hold her down!" Caitlin cried.

Cisco, Wells and Barry held her down as Caitlin grabbed a sedative filled syringe.  
"Cisco, my head. It hurts!" Astrid cried as she looked up at him, tears filled her eyes. He felt so useless to her at that point. As Caitlin gave her the sedative, he stroked her hair as she instantly fell asleep.  
"It seems that Astrid also possesses telekinesis…" Harry said.  
Cisco stormed out of the cortex leaving Caitlin, Barry and Wells to watch over his girlfriend.  
As Caitlin looked over at Harry she had to breathe the moment through. Frost wanted to use this as the precise time to take her vengeance out on the man. "I'm going to check on Cisco." Caitlin said, using this as an excuse to leave the room.


	4. Chapter 4

"Cisco… Cisco!" Caitlin said as she found him in a room that he had adopted as his own personal workplace, a place where he could build and work by himself with only his loud music to keep him company. He was hunched over a table working on a new invention. "Astrid is going to be okay." She told him. Cisco pressed pause on his laptop, stopping the music so he could speak.

"I'm sorry if I'm finding it hard to believe you right now, Caitlin. What, with her screaming out in pain and having to be sedated and everything." He flicked his hair behind his ear in frustration and turned to her.  
"I get that, but she's tough. She'll pull through." Caitlin tried to reassure him.

"You tell me that every time. Do you remember when she was in her coma the first time. I was so disappointed that I didn't tell her that I loved her before the meteor shower… and yeah… she pulled through… But it just seems that every time she pulls through, there's always something else big coming our way. Next it will be the apocalypse… wait no, forget I said that!" he said looking up as if to be speaking to some higher being.

"Cisco… I get what you're saying. But that's just life. Unfortunately, it likes to throw us a few curveballs, from time to time.  
"Nah, ya think! Speaking of curve balls…. Did you know that one of Astrid's memories was about a major groundbreaking secret, that she had no idea about… Guess who knew it and never said a thing! DR Wells! He's been lying to all of us! Most of all her."

"What's the secret?" Caitlin asked him, deep down knowing if Frost were to find out about this piece of information it would give her more ammo on the man.  
"I can't say. Not until Astrid's ready to tell everybody. But Harry knew about it. I just wish that there was some way for me to help her. The main reason I went to Gotham City was because I wanted to be her hero. I mean, we're surrounded by people like the Flash and the Green Arrow and Sara Lance… Come on, she is Mind Marvel… and I was always just a sidekick. She deserves someone, who can help her… someone who can protect her from everything. Even Captain Cold was able to protect her better than I was! Who am I kidding, I'm just the underdog with the witty one liners!"

Caitlin listened to him vent. She could tell that he had been holding all of this in for a while. "Cisco, when will you see it for the way it really is. You are a hero! You're her hero! You're not a sidekick, you just don't give yourself much credit. Astrid picked you because she needs someone to turn to at the end of the day. You saw the way that she needed your support in there. When she was kidnapped in that bar she wanted you to stay by her, to hold her. She always has seen you that way… and right now, I think she needs you to make her something to minimize her pain. The more she uses her powers, the more it's going to cause her those headaches. And I'm certain that's something that you can do for her."

Cisco stared at her, knowing that she was right. "Man, Caitlin… Since when did you get so good at giving advice?"  
"I've been watching you pine over her since I started working for her dad… I'm just telling you like it is!"  
"Thanks Cait!" Cisco said, "I should get to work… maybe I can work on her old power dampening bracelet, maybe there is some way that I can dial the frequency up and down to balance out her powers. It should take me about an hour to adjust."

"Sounds good… Now, I think that Barry is waiting for me so we can actually spend a little time at home… considering we apparently live together now! If she wakes up a little unstable, you can call me to alter her sedative dose." Cisco nodded at her, pressed play on his music and got back to work.  
As Caitlin left the room, she felt Frost beginning to emerge. She stopped in the hallway, closing the door to Cisco's work room, to not disturb him.  
"Frost, no… not now, please!" she pleaded.

"Caitlin, you can't stop me forever. That man needs to pay for killing her." Frost said.  
"Please, no… Frost… It's what needed to be done! It was necessary!" Caitlin said pleadingly.  
"There were other ways to keep her at bay… He shot first, he didn't even care if Sara bled out… He had to get his kill… Harry will suffer… Now stay back, Caitlin! Let me do this!" Frost snapped. She had taken full control of Caitlin's body.

The minute Frost entered the cortex, she found Wells heading towards his office with his tablet.  
She shot an ice blast at the man, knocking him out cold, instantly.  
"Frost! What are you doing?" Barry cried. He immediately threw her to the floor to restrain her.

"Barry, Wells killed the woman I love! He must answer for his crimes! You would do the same if it were Caitlin! I know you would!" Frost snapped at him.  
"Frost this isn't the way!" Barry pleaded with her, he was holding her down on the ground. She was laying on her back.  
"If you're going to stand in my way, Barry… So be it!" Frost told him angrily. She kissed him, instantly turning him into ice from his lips to his feet. She pushed him off of her and he fell frozen stiff to the floor. Once Frost had gotten to her feet, she found that Wells was not where he had fallen.

"I wondered if you would wind up seeking revenge for the death of Amunet!" Well said from behind her. He was holding up his thermo-gun.  
"So you intend on killing Caitlin's body. You really are a traitor!" Frost snapped at him.  
"No, I don't want to kill you. Nor, will I let you kill me either. How long do you think that it would have taken for Amunet to have escaped whatever prison we locked her in? She would have gotten free and taken every one of us out… She was keen on using Astrid over there as her number one weapon. Now she and Barry are the reasons that I came here.   
As a World Walker they were my missions. I swore to protect them both. But along the way I met Caitlin, Cisco… and I met you… I will do whatever it takes to ensure that I keep you all safe. Even if it means killing anything that may jeopardize your lives, whether you like it or not!" Wells snapped at her. His thermo-gun was still aimed directly at her.

"So, if you want to protect us… Why did you lie to us?" Cisco's voice had joined the conversation. He was standing in the entrance way with both his palms at the ready. One aimed at Harry and the other at Frost. "Why did you lie to Astrid? She knows your secret, Harry! She knows that Robert isn't her father! So who is? And why do you continue to lie to us?"  
"Ramon! What are you doing there?" Harry asked him, surprised by his sudden arrival.

As Harry was distracted, Frost shot a blast of ice at the World Walker, freezing him in place.  
"Frost! What are you doing?" Cisco snapped at her, he shot a vibrational blast of energy in her direction, which she managed to escape and ran towards the stairway. Cisco ran to Harry's aid.


	5. Chapter 5

Barry unfroze and assisted Cisco in helping unfreeze Harry. Fortunately, they had succeeded. "man… for a regular human, you sure can take a ton of ice being thrown at you." Cisco said to Wells.  
"What can I say, the World Walkers are built to withstand a lot." Harry replied.  
"Hey, you guys…" Astrid said as she sat up on the med bay bed. "What happened in here? Where's Caitlin?" As the group walked over to her, she saw in their minds exactly what had happened.

"Oh no!" she gasped, "we need to help her… and Frost."  
"Frost was pretty determined to kill Wells… I'm not sure how we're going to convince her not to!" Barry said. "But, I'm not sitting idly by while she is in this state."  
"How's your head, Jedi girl?" Cisco asked as he sat beside her, "we don't need you over exerting yourself, again."  
"It's actually fine, for the moment anyway. I'm ready to work! We need to focus on Caitlin… and helping Frost. We're not losing them." She replied, "Even if I have to compel Frost myself…"

"…Which you're not doing…" Cisco cut her off, "… at least, not until I can adjust your power dampening bracelet to allow you to use your abilities without causing you to lose your mind in the process."

"Agreed!" Harry replied. "We will help Frost, but we're doing it in a way that won't hinder your mental stability."  
"Then what do you suppose we do? I'm your best shot at getting her back!" Astrid replied.

"They're right." Barry replied, "We're doing this without anyone getting hurt. You included! Does anyone have any ideas?"  
"The answer might lie within Caitlin herself." Harry said after a while. "Maybe she doesn't possess the strength to overtake Frost from within her mind."  
Astrid thought for a moment, "But even if that's the case, it's clear that Frost is acting purely on emotion and revenge. Maybe that's why Frost isn't letting Caitlin be in control at the moment."

"You mean we need to appeal to Frost… and not Caitlin?" Barry asked her.  
"That's exactly what I'm saying. They are two separate beings… we know that. They are both our friends… and it's clear that Frost is struggling. We do the same thing that we would do for Caitlin in this situation." Astrid said.

"And might I suggest that we leave Harry out of this battle?" Cisco asked, "I mean… he is the one she wants to… you know… kill!"  
"The lot of you are asking me to just stay here and let you guys deal with her? What if something goes wrong? Things always go wrong!" Harry said.  
"We're not asking!" Astrid said.

Harry knew that they would not take 'no' for an answer. "Fine… I'll stay here… but I can see the lot of you regretting it!" Astrid glared at him, she was still mad at him for lying to her. He left them and made his way towards his office.  
"You shouldn't be so harsh on the guy… He means well." Barry said to Astrid.

"Let's locate Frost." Astrid said. "To do so I'm going to need to perform a mind scan of Central City. I'm going to need you guys to stand by if I can't contain my own mind."  
"Are you sure that you really want to do this?" Cisco asked her.  
"I need to." She said. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind, relaxing it entirely.  
She was able to open the channel up to the thoughts of Central City's residents… Her head began to hurt, but she breathed through it.

"Okay, I have her location. Amunet's old base/ The old hotel" She finally said. "But, she knows that we're coming. She's ready to attack us if necessary."  
The three of them came up with a plan and while Barry ran over to Frost's location, Cisco breached both he and Astrid. They all wore their communicators in place.  
"Barry." Astrid said through her ear piece, "Don't be reckless. We will approach her first. Remember, if you anger her enough, you know what she is capable of. The power dampening cuffs are a last resort at all costs. Frost is still our friend."

"Right! You guys, Astrid… she's in the kitchen, where Amunet was killed." Barry replied.  
Astrid had only ever been led to the bedroom by Amunet the last time they had come here. She read Frost's thoughts, which directed her the rest of the way.  
She and Cisco approached their friend who sat in the middle of the kitchen. Frost knew that they were there, but she didn't attack.  
"Frost." Cisco said, "We don't want to hurt you."

"If you wanted to hurt me, neither of you would be standing there." Frost said as she stood up and faced them. Her pale skin showed the misery that was consuming her. "Is that murderer with you?" Frost asked them.  
"Harry was only trying to keep us safe. But no, he isn't." Cisco said trying to keep his temper under control.  
"Frost." Astrid began, "I understand what you're going through. It's tough. But we can help you."

"How would you be able to even imagine how I feel…" Frost began, but then she had a change of thought. "Of course you know what I'm going through… that alternate timeline… You remember what happened to you, don't you? You lost Cisco and what did you do to get him back? You sided with the Lords of Chaos, didn't you? We are very similar in our ways, Astrid… you were even willing to kill Barry."

"I did, and I was. But I've learnt from…" Astrid began.  
"...Would you do it again?" Frost asked her, "If Cisco was to be killed in front of you, right now… What would you do? You would seek vengeance, even if it meant killing another person."  
"Frost, this isn't like you!" Astrid said.

The woman with the white hair placed her hand on Cisco's shoulder. "Astrid, you didn't answer my question… If I were to kill Cisco in front of you, right now… Would you kill me where I stand?"  
"You wouldn't do that. If you hurt him, you would also be hurting Caitlin. You don't want to be responsible for that." Astrid said.  
Cisco, who had raised up his hands ready to defend himself took a breath. "Caitlin… I know you're in there… Please, take over her now!" he said out loud.  
"Cisco!" Astrid said, a little annoyed, "we need to get through to Frost. She's our friend too."

"Caitlin isn't strong enough to come out, Cisco." Frost said, an icy tear streamed down her face. She raised her voice at the two of them, making them both flinch, "The two of you think that you're my friends. But you still let that man into our little fold, after he murdered the love of my life. Astrid… We both know that you and I are alike, so let's prove it!"  
As she said those words, she let a stream of ice go from her fingers into Cisco's shoulder quickly. Just as she did so, he raised up his hand and shot a blast at her knocking her backwards.

As she fell backwards, she blasted another bolt of ice in his direction. It hit Barry who had just made his way in between the two.  
Frost rolled out of the way and shot another cold blast at Cisco, he breached out of the way. Then she shot an ice blast at Astrid. Before Astrid could duck, Cisco breached beside her and pulled her out of the way. They reentered the room on the other side of Barry.

Astrid knew that she had no choice but to compel Frost. As she attempted her mind compulsion, her head began to hurt. The pain was unbearable. She couldn't create the link. She was brought down to the floor by her own mind.  
Frost smirked at Astrid and Cisco. She found Astrid's pain a humiliating thing. "So much for that idea, Astrid…" Frost said with a sly tone. She raised up both her hands, ready to shoot them both. Just as Cisco raised up his hand. He was willing to blast Frost away if he needed to. "Frost… You don't want to do this!" he told her, praying that she wouldn't make her move, especially with Astrid in the crippled position on the floor.

"Cisco… You have no idea of what I want. Don't call me Frost, anymore… From here on… they will call me Killer Frost!" she said as she released two blasts of ice from her hands one for each of her friends.  
As Cisco saw the blasts coming for them, he released his own blasts of energy. The projectiles met in the middle and ricocheted off each other. He quickly opened a breach and dragged Astrid through it.

Barry grabbed Frost from behind and pulled her down to the floor. He put on the power dampening cuffs, before she could fight him off, making Caitlin reemerge.  
"Barry!" Caitlin cried out. Tears rolled down her face, as her hair changed back to her regular red-brown.  
"Oh, Caitlin!" Barry gasped, holding her, "I'm so sorry."

Cisco and Astrid reemerge from another breach right next to their friends. Astrid's head was still hurting, but she was managing to breathe through the pain.  
"I think that we can go back to STAR labs, now!" Cisco told them.


	6. Chapter 6

"I found it!" Cisco exclaimed. He had been looking all over the place for the snowflake necklace that he had when Frost had first started to emerge. He had forgotten about it since his visions of Barry's flashpoint had confused him, making him believe that Eobard Thawne had broken it. Fortunately, it was still in good condition.  
He handed the necklace to Caitlin. "This should keep Frost at bay, for the time being." He said.

"I will take the time to help her with the grieving process of losing Amunet." Astrid said. "No matter what may have happened, Frost is still our friend. She still needs our support."  
Caitlin looked down at the necklace in her hands, which were still cuffed. "Cisco, I can't put this necklace on until I'm out of these shackles."  
Astrid took the chain from her and fastened it around Caitlin's neck, as Cisco unlocked the wrist restraints. Barry remained at the ready to restrain Frost if needed. Fortunately, she did not reappear.

"Astrid, did you want something for your headache?" Caitlin asked.  
"That would be great!" Astrid replied.  
"Speaking of headaches!" Cisco said, "Give me half an hour and I will have something for you!" he left to get to work in his workroom.  
Astrid swallowed the pain medication that Caitlin gave her and made her way towards Harry's office. She was going to give him a piece of her mind in relation to the secret he had been harboring.

"Astrid's on a mission!" Barry said to Caitlin, noticing their friend's angry determination to meet with Harry. "Would you know what that's about?"  
Caitlin shrugged, "Who knows… Yesterday she was feeding him beer, remember? Oh wait! Cisco said something about some big secret… Maybe that's what its regarding. But, I really don't see why we are still standing around here. Frost has been dealt with… Astrid's pain killers should kick in any minute now and considering you and I have just moved in together, we've been spending more time at work than at our apartment."

"I get what you're saying." Barry said with a smile. "Let's go home, roomie!" He took her by the hand and transported her to their apartment in a flash.  
"Who is my father?" Astrid snapped at Wells as she stood in front of his desk.  
"I was waiting for this." Harry said.

"Yeah… and I'm waiting for your answer… You have been lying to me nonstop. This one secret is one of the most important secrets of my life… and somehow you know it! So, I am not going to compel you, instead, I am going to say, that if you want to continue working with us… You will tell me… Who is my father?" she was yelling at him.  
Harry opened the draw to his desk and pulled out a dark brown journal. Robert Sutherland's journal.  
"Harry, Don't avoid the question!" she told him.

"I'm not avoiding the question." He replied. He opened the journal and pulled out Robert Sutherland's letter that the man had written for his adopted daughter, Astrid. He handed it to her and she read it.

"My Dearest Astrid. If you are reading this, it means that I am no longer with you and that you have inherited STAR Labs and everything that we have worked so hard to achieve.  
I must confess a secret that I could never bring myself to tell you, while I was alive. This news might break your heart, but the words have to be spoken.  
Your mother and I, as much as we have both loved you as if you were our very own, are not your true biological parents. We only ever met your father. His name was Kent Nelson. He gave you up at a time when he was in danger. He made us vow to love you as if you were our own, or else your life, too would be in jeopardy. After we had lost our own child, we could not bear such a cruel fate to befall another child.

I am sorry that you might feel that you have been living a lie. But for what it's worth, I hope that you have found the happiness within your life. Just as I hope that Cisco is still a very important person to you. Just as he has always been like a son to me. He has always loved you, just as your mother and I too, have always loved you.  
I wish you all the best in your future, love always, your father Robert Sutherland."

Her eyes opened wide, in disbelief. The tears were freely falling down her face, but she was trying to focus on making sense of everything. She reread the letter over and over, but while this letter was earth shattering to her very core, there were two things that stood out. The first being that Robert had called the place STAR Labs. Astrid had been the one to name the company that.

Her father had called it Sutherland Labs. The second was that he continued to mention the word 'fate', which was so unlike him.  
"What does fate have to do with my father?" she asked Harry. But she didn't expect a response, nor did she read his mind for one.  
Harry picked up the journal and handed it to her. "I never read this, but it belonged to him. Maybe you will find your answers amongst its pages." Harry said. He left her alone in the office to make sense of everything.

Astrid stared at the journal in her hands and headed towards her own office to sit in peace. She had received the answer to her question, but that had only led her to more questions.  
There was no doubt in her mind that this journal would answer them, but she felt that she wasn't yet ready for those answers. She placed the letter and the journal into her own draw and closed it.

She willed the issue to go to the back of her mind, just until she knew that she was ready to face the truth.  
Suddenly, Cisco entered her office, holding out her old power dampening bracelet. He was excitedly telling her that it could adjust her focus levels and reduce the strain on her own head. She could barely focus on what he was saying. She took the bracelet and put it on her wrist.  
"Cisco, let's go home." She said, "we all need a break!"


	7. Chapter 7

The next day Astrid gave Cisco, Caitlin and Harry the day off from work, as she told them she needed time to relax. Unfortunately for Caitlin, Barry's day job was at CCPD.  
Caitlin spent the day pottering around the apartment that she now shared with Barry. She adjusted picture frames, ornaments and had an idea. She poured over old recipe books. She wanted to make Barry a special dinner for when he returned home. But amongst the books she found Barry's mother's old recipe book.

She found a meal that she knew that Barry would love and set to work preparing it. When Barry finally returned home, he was met by the familiar smell. He found Caitlin still fussing over the oven in the kitchen.  
"I tried to make a roast, Barry… The way your mother would… but I don't think it went quite to plan!" she said as she pulled the chicken out of the oven. "I knew that you wanted a special meal to celebrate us living together and I picked Big Belly Burger the other night… I wanted to do something special. But, it's a little… overcooked."

Barry smiled as he made his way over to her, "It smells like my mother's cooking… she used to have the same habit of letting it sit a little longer in the oven too… It looks perfect, Caitlin!"  
He felt a tear well up in his eye as he remembered being a child and coming home from school to his mother's cooking. He kissed Caitlin, "Let me set the table for you!" he told her. It was done before she could answer, complete with flowers in the center.

"Thank you, Barry." she said blushing. "You know the right words to make a girl smile."  
But Barry could tell that she was hurting over the way that things had gone with Frost. Frost, well Killer Frost as she was preferring to be called at that point, was still a part of Caitlin and it hurt Barry to know that she had to go through such a burden.

"Caitlin, I want you to know that you and i are a team... i mean, sure we have the rest of our group, but you and I... We have something special. When I get hurt, I can always come back, knowing that you will fix me... We're Caitlin and Barry! Or if we follow the whole 'shipping' thing... We're SnowBarry." He told her.  
"Snowbarry?" Caitlin asked him, intrigued... "That sounds like something that Cisco would come up with..."

"I'm not sure if he came up with it, but he was the one that told me what it was... But, I'm just saying that this thing with Frost is hurting you. She has been apart of your life for a while now, just as she has ours. If you need to talk about it... I don't mean to quote the words of that singer but... 'Let me be your hero'."  
These words made Caitlin burst into laughter. "Barry... Okay, yeah this thing with Frost is really getting to me. I'm not sure how long we will be able to keep her at bay. Astrid said she will work on putting her through therapy over time. One of the perks of having a Psychologist in our group, hey? But still, what if it doesn't work? What if she just..."

"Gets worse?" Barry finished for her, making her nod. "Well then, we will find a way to protect you at all costs. I would never let her do anything to risk your life. You have my word."  
Caitlin thought for a moment... "So, if we're Snowbarry... Cisco must have come up with something for he and Astrid." she said.  
"Oh he did... Mindvibe... Kinda catchy... but not as catchy as snowbarry!"

Caitlin laughed again, making Barry smile, then she said, "We should start eating... before its burnt and cold..." Barry took her hand in his own and they finished their dinner in a comfortable silence.


	8. Chapter 8

Astrid sat on the lounge in her living room with a tissue held to her eyes, as she sobbed softly. The tears continued to fall.  
suddenly, she felt the sudden presence of Cisco's thoughts entering her house via breach. After everything that had been going on recently, she didnt want him to find her crying. So, she turned off the television.

"Hey, Astrid… Did I leave my shirt here? You know the one with the…" Cisco stopped talking as he saw her wipe her face with her hand and jump to her feet. "Are you okay?" he asked her.  
"I'm fine… why do you ask?" she questioned him, biting her bottom lip to stop it from trembling and looking away from him.  
Cisco raised his eyebrows. "I know when you're lying, remember? Tell me what's going on… who's butt do we need to kick… Well, that you will be kicking, while I will be… you know, on the sidelines cheering you on."

"It's stupid. Don't worry about it!" she said, "let's just go upstairs and forget about it!" She went to walk past him but he grabbed her arm.  
"Astrid… Now, I'm really worried. What's going on?" he asked her sternly.

She looked at him and tilted her head up to face him, she wasn't going to cry, even though the thought was still fresh in her mind. She willed herself not to cry. "If you must know… it was just a silly movie that I was watching. I just got a little teary." She said. She wasn't going to tell him the name of the movie.  
Cisco picked up the remote from the lounge and switched the television back on, as she bypassed him. When he saw what movie she had been watching, a smile spread across his face.

"Those damn Poke'mon get me every time, too." He said with a grin.  
"Don't mock me, pal!" Astrid said sternly, as he sat down where she had been sitting.  
"Oh, I'm not mocking you… Ash trying to stop the Poke'mon battle and risking his life… and then little Pikachu begins crying and all the rest of them start crying and…" a tear welled up in his eye, he refused to remove his eyes from the screen.

"You're such a baby!" Astrid said, sitting down beside him and putting her arm around his shoulders to comfort him.  
"Hey, you cried first." he said defending himself.  
"Yeah… but…"

"No buts… Though, in my books, this could be the saddest moment in movie history." Cisco said.  
"Nope… I don't agree!" Astrid said sternly.  
"You don't agree? Well, do share… What do you feel is the saddest moment in movie history?" he asked her.  
"One word… Artax!" she said, nodding.

Cisco raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Okay… yeah… I think I'm gonna cry again… that… that hurts right in the feels! Girl… No! You shouldn't have gone there… ouch! That stupid horse! That's not sad! That's traumatic!"

Cisco was beginning to cry again, and even Astrid had to hold back tears as she could remember that scene in full detail.  
"So… maybe we should go back to the conversation on Poke'mon." Astrid said, making herself laugh.  
"Good idea… Hey, Barry would totally be Pikachu if he was a Poke'mon… You know the lightning bolt tail thing?" Cisco asked.  
"Really? I always thought he'd be a Jolteon! But Pikachu works too!" Astrid replied.

"You know… that's why I love you, Astrid Sutherland." Cisco said, "But… I came here for a reason… I think I left one of my shirts here, it's not at my place. You know the Nintendo one?"

They both got to their feet, "which Nintendo one? you have like seven." She replied.  
"Actually it was… never mind, who's keeping count?" he laughed.  
"Maybe my laundry lady found it… Come on, we'll go look. But, while we're on the subject of your shirts… Don't ever change your style, that's one of the things that I love about you!" She said leading him out of the room.

"You can't forget my hair!" he said with a smile.  
"Oh no... i certainly can't forget your hair... It actually reminds me of Atreyu... who... you know... lost his horse in the swamps of sadness." she said.  
"Harsh, girl... very harsh!"


	9. Chapter 9

While the rest of the group had taken the day off from working at STAR Labs, Harry, however had chosen to go to work that day. By seven that night he was sitting at his desk consuming his hot coffee.  
"You told her, didn't you Harry?" Kent's voice was highly expected by the man. Kent stood in Harry's office with his helmet removed.

"News really travels fast. No, I didn't tell her… I gave her a letter that Robert wrote for her. So, I guess you can put that down to he told her." Harry said smugly.  
"You smug bastard!" Another voice entered the office, this one belonged to the egotistical John Constantine. "Well the pair of you are both smug bastards… but I don't think we're here to chat about that daughter of yours, Kent. So, why are we all here, tonight?"  
"Did you tell them about the Overmaster?" Kent asked Harry.

"I did. We haven't had to deal with anymore of his Cadre as of late. We've had much more pressing matters to contend with. I feel that the group are becoming unstable. Most of all, Astrid's mental capabilities. Her memories and her powers are becoming far too strong. They are causing her to suffer from some serious headaches. We analyzed the activity to her brain today… I'm concerned that the activity to this extent, could cause her to go down the same path as some of the villains that we have seen before. And they will continue to get stronger. She was able to shoot a syringe across the room with only her mind. Cisco has come up with an idea to help her dial back on her abilities… but I fear it will just be a matter of time before we all suffer for what she is capable of." Harry explained this in a way that made the other two men cringe.

Kent stared down at the floor, he knew that this was why the gods had allowed her to survive this timeline. There was a slim chance that she could beat the odds, and not lose her mind or turn to the lords of chaos in the process. However, if she did… it would take a lot to destroy her, even DR Fate himself would need to intervene.  
"Well then, Harry… you need to ensure that that doesn't happen." Kent said sternly. "We will not lose Astrid. We will not lose my… daughter. Constantine, we will need you to stand by the group and ensure that they will not have to…"

Constantine knew what Kent was saying, but before he could speak, all their eyes focused on the door. There was someone in the darkened cortex, and it wasn't Astrid, Barry, Caitlin or Cisco.

Harry retrieved his thermogun, Kent picked up his helmet and they followed Constantine out into the cortex to meet with the stranger.  
The stranger was currently snooping around. "Hands up." Harry said, aiming his weapon at the man. Constantine chanted and the entire room illuminated, revealing a tall lanky man who seemed nervous that he had been caught. He raised both his hands up. They seemed to stretch longer than regular arms. Kent Nelson knew exactly who this man was, but did not give up the man's secret.

"Please don't shoot me!" the stranger said, "I'm actually a Private Investigator. Well, former Private Investigator and I have been looking into…"  
"You're a Private Investigator?" Constantine asked, "That gives us all the more reason to want you dead. Gideon… What's your take on this man?"  
Gideon switched on the projector screen and displayed a full profile image of the man and said, "This man speaks the truth. He is in fact a former Private Investigator. His name is Ralph Dibny and it seems that he possesses a certain ability that allows him to stretch his body in ways that are not medically possible."

Ralph was surprised by the sudden voice of the AI. "Wow. Look, I actually saw the group in action back in Gotham City, and then I saw them at that fight in the bar with that metal lady… I need their help…"  
"Why would they want to help you?" Constantine asked.  
"I'm sorry but I have absolutely nothing to offer… but my desperation! I'm willing to beg if necessary…" Ralph replied.  
Harry went to shoot the man, but Kent stopped him and said. "He can be trusted, Harry. Ralph, is it? We will help you ourselves, provided you do something for me."


End file.
